To any agent out there,

This application is to request any athletic agency or sponsor who may be interested in recruiting gifted athletes from marginalized society like for example the Laikipia Maasai in Mukogodo, or the adjacent Samburu areas to kindly get in touch with me or any other Mukogodian to connect you to very promising athletes in Mukogodo RESERVE!

While I was checking out Mike Rainy’s facebook for news updates about current brutality affecting Samburu and Pokots, I came across a facebook event by Gallmann Memorial Foundation. I thought maybe you Rainy can acquire some connections or through Gallmann? Please, consider if you can, to get in touch with really good runners from Mukogodo. A number of them have been asking just to get the opportunity to display their talents. Call the headmaster Dol-dol high for more information.

You can also visit Dol-dol high school and ask the administration to provide the names of the gifted students who can be motivated to probably be the next gold medalists for Kenya?

I would really like to see our flag flying high on the Olympic Games next time with the flag bearer being one of the kids from those neglected frontiers! I am sure there are so many talented sportsmen and women in Mukogodo and those hot areas of Oldonyo Ngiro, Wampa and down to Orpurkel, whose talents go to waste because they never get to market their talents.

So many “leaping Maasai” would make very good high jumpers, long jumpers, triple jumpers as well as long distance runners! And get a descent reward for it. I also know that many Maasai’s are good in throwing javelin. I am sure most of you have seen the Maasai on TV jumping for tourist or for welcoming the tourist home but none of you have ever seen any Maasai competing for a medal for Kenya or Tanzania in any sport.

For you information, (Masai Linet Chepkwemoi) the one who made us all proud when she tactfully ran home a Gold medal on 10.000m stopping the almost unbeatable Ethiopians in 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Berlin is not a Maasai but her father or mother may have been a Maasai? However, I am very happy for her and I celebrated when she cross the line a winner. After all, she’s my fellow countrymen and a cousin (Nilotic) tooJ

Back to the Mukogodo Reserve! Have anyone ever wondered why Maasai don’t participate in the national athletics? Someone may give very different reasons but my spontaneous reason is because they live far away from “Kenya” Laikipia north is quit a distance to travel from Nairobi. You know in Kenya, everything is centrally controlled. Now that President Kibaki made a Mukogodo into a District, I expect his government invest on a Laikipiak athletic center built adjacent to Moru-pusi in Dol-dol area. At least it would be a little step to securing the endangered lives of our youth in Mukogodo.

Major obstacle that stops promising athletes to succeed is the lack good connection. Additionally, most of them are poor. Taking great risks to travel to Nairobi to look for sponsorship is almost unthinkable.

A number of the well known athletes from Dol-dol high are keeping their hopes high that I may in some way find sponsors for them but the reality is very cruel. I don’t have “good contacts” either! I have always tried to let my young brothers and sisters back at home know that we need to organize ourselves and demand recognition. Seeing very gifted people ending up as young alcoholics just because they lived in fantasy that they would make it through athletics only to realize that nobody cares about them is such a traumatic experience.

It’s not easy to find sponsors if you don’t have contact with the “right people” So organize yourself and let the “Right” people start to see you and come to you! However, before this happens, please if you can, get in touch with Dol-dol and arrange an exhibition day! It’s much better that way, that having them displayed like articles in the market for tourist sake!

Mukogodo youth can come together and ask the newly formed Laikipia North District CDF committee, to invest the Community development funds on a sports club in Moru-pusi. That we can do? Just call a Baraza! Get a police permission if need be and Involve the area chief and other traditional elders. Am sure sports will combat a lot of social miseries like diseases and drug use as well as provide opportunity for economical growth.

Again, I call upon anybody who may have connections with any athletic agency who can sponsor very good athletics from Dol-dol High. Mike Rainy, Any good idea?

Saidimu Ole Ngais.